Human rights advocates are calling for public disclosure and clearer language in school board policies aimed to protect LGBTQ students and support their right to form gay-straight alliances.

While Education Minister David Eggen has confirmed all 61 school boards across Alberta have issued policies they say protect gender diversity in schools, not all policies have included the term “gay-straight alliance” or the words represented in the acronym LGBTQ, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning.

“If you can’t say the actual word ‘gay,’ then how safe and secure will students actually feel about creating alliances,” said Kris Wells, an assistant professor and faculty director with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services in the faculty of education at the University of Alberta.

“These are more than just words,” Wells said. “These are people’s identities. Yet there are still many boards that are trying to get around this.”

Larry Booi, board chair for Public Interest Alberta, agreed, asking, “What is the problem with clarity?

“Why does it instead appear that school boards are retreating into the camouflage of ambiguity?

“And this is especially problematic because we are talking about the rights of children.”

Joel French, executive director of Public Interest Alberta, also agreed policies with unclear wording don’t do enough to make students or staff feel safe.

“Patchwork policies leave LGBTQ students and teachers at risk of discrimination,” he said. “If some school boards are unwilling to provide these basic protections for students and staff, the provincial government may need to put those protections into legislation.”

Policies like the ones submitted by the Calgary Board of Education, or the Red Deer Public School Board, clearly define the term LGBTQ and outline the importance of “gay-straight alliance.”

However, other boards, like the Calgary Catholic School District or the Palliser School Division, which represents several Christian schools in Calgary, avoid use of the word “gay” or the acronym LGBTQ.

“We do use the terms sexual minorities and sexual orientation, gender identity and gender,” said Jennifer Woo, supervisor of religious education and family life for the Calgary Catholic board.

She added that some Catholic schools also have clubs that support kids across the spectrum, including Bishop Carroll High School’s Spectrum Club, which supports gay, lesbian and transgender students.

“Building a community where everyone feels safe is part of our culture; it is central to everything that we do.”

Wells added many policies are still not available online on school board websites, adding to the fear and uncertainty students may be feeling as they start the school year.

“Why not have the minister make them all public?” Wells said, stressing that Eggen needs to be stronger in making policies public through Alberta Education’s website, now that he has confirmed they’ve all been received.

But the education ministry says Eggen has been clear for sometime that he will only encourage boards themselves to make policies public and that he continues to work with some on language.

Last week, Eggen launched an inquiry after two independent religious schools refused to follow the province’s rules on gay-straight alliances, calling it a “very serious matter.”

Eggen hassent a letter to the board chairman of the Independent Baptist Christian Education Society asking for assurance that the two rural schools in Parkland County, near Edmonton, under its authority would comply with amendments to the School Act.

The act stipulates that students have the right to establish inclusive and diverse groups, including gay-straight alliances.

School board chairman Pastor Brian Coldwell, from Spruce Grove, has said it infringes on religious freedom and that Meadows Baptist Academy and Harvest Baptist Academy, which have about 200 students, won’t host gay-straight alliances.

Eggen said possible outcomes of the inquiry include defunding the schools or dissolving their licences, noting that the issue could also end up in court.

“I’ve been patient and I’m satisfied with the level of collaboration so far, but I’m also disappointed that someone would actively say they will not follow the law,” Eggen said.

“We need to ensure all Alberta students are protected and have a safe and caring environment in which to learn.”

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